Donating Artifacts to the Museum
Do you have an interesting item to donate to the museum that relates to the history of Powell River or the qathet Regional District? The Powell River Historical Museum & Archives collects artifacts that can tell a significant story about the people in qRD from Jervis Inlet to Desolation Sound including Harwood, Hernando, Savary, and Texada islands, their cultures, history and lifestyles. We must be selective about adding to the collection due to storage constraints and want to ensure that everything we collect is of high quality and fits within our mandate. All artifacts that come into the collection must be in good condition and be appropriate for the museum to care for and store.
Set up an appointment with us to discuss and we may find a home for it in our collections.
Set up an appointment with us to discuss and we may find a home for it in our collections.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does the PRHMA decide what it will accept?
Potential donations are assessed against three main criteria:
- History: The value of an object increases when more is known about it. Do you have information about how and where the artefact was created or collected, and used?
- Condition: Is the object complete and in good condition? The PRHMA will assess whether it has the means to properly care for the object.
- Relevance: The PRHMA will consider how the object fits within the Museum’s mandate and whether it will bring a new perspective to existing collections.
My object is really old! It has been in my parents\basement for 30 years. Is this enough of a significant local story?
Unfortunately, old is not a qualifier that immediately makes an object an acceptable donation to the PRHMA. The PRHMA is looking for strong provenance related to the people, businesses, organizations, and history of the qRD.
Here is an example of a significant story: A small group of cedar baskets were donated to the PRHMA in 2019. The donor’s family acquired the baskets through local trade with the First Nation community, which has lived here from time immemorial. In the publication Powell River's First 50 Years, it is noted that Tom Ahola, the donor’s grandfather, purchased the Cranberry hardware store in 1937 from Martin Alsgard and in 1954 it was owned and operated by his son Edwin, the donor’s uncle. The donor remembers the items being acquired by her uncle when he was the owner of the store. She notes that payment was sometimes made with salmon and possibly the baskets came with it.
Here is an example of a significant story: A small group of cedar baskets were donated to the PRHMA in 2019. The donor’s family acquired the baskets through local trade with the First Nation community, which has lived here from time immemorial. In the publication Powell River's First 50 Years, it is noted that Tom Ahola, the donor’s grandfather, purchased the Cranberry hardware store in 1937 from Martin Alsgard and in 1954 it was owned and operated by his son Edwin, the donor’s uncle. The donor remembers the items being acquired by her uncle when he was the owner of the store. She notes that payment was sometimes made with salmon and possibly the baskets came with it.
My object has an incredible story, but it belonged to my grandmother who brought it to Powell River from the East Coast. Does the museum want it for the collection?
The PRHMA rarely accepts artifacts with no significant link to the history of the qRD. If an object was never used in qRD, we recommend finding a museum closer to where it was purchased/used to donate it to.
Why would the PRHMA not accept my donation?
We receive far more offers of donations than we can accept. Storage and display space is extremely limited, as are resources to care for, monitor, and properly store artifacts. We gratefully decline offers of objects that:
- Are already well-represented in our collections
- Objects without a known history,
- Those without a connection to the qRD
- Objects in poor physical condition
Will the PRHMA display the object if I donate it?
Like the majority of museums we have less than 10% of our artifacts on exhibit. We are not able to guarantee if or when we will exhibit artifacts. The continuous display of many types of objects is also not beneficial to their long term preservation. As part of the PRHMA's role is preserving artifacts for future generations, we rotate the displays on a scheduled basis, allowing objects on display to have a respite, and which gives us the opportunity to develop new displays and refresh exhibits.
Will the PRHMA put a plaque on the object that has my relative’s name on it?
We do not permanently affix signs or plaques to objects because it is distracting to visitors who are viewing them on exhibit. Staff will record your relative’s connection to the artifact in its file so that the information is retained. If the artifact goes on exhibit, your relative’s name may be included in an artifact label if that story is relevant to the exhibit.
May I drop off my objects off at the museum?
We ask that people do not drop off objects at the Museum without first contacting and making arrangements with PRHMA staff. Any objects dropped off without contact information included are considered abandoned property and disposed of. We will not accept abandoned property into our collection as we do not know its history and we are unable to complete a transfer of ownership agreement. All potential acquisitions must go through an extensive research and verification process while we consult our collections policy to see if it fits with our collection.
Will the Museum purchase an artifact from me?
Most of our artifacts are obtained through donation. The PRHMA rarely purchases unsolicited offers of artifacts and will only do so if they meet a specific need in our collection.
Does the museum issue tax receipts for objects?
The PRHMA is a charity registered with the Canada Revenue Agency and is authorized to issues receipts for income tax purposes. Tax receipts for donations of objects that are known to have significant monetary value may be issued for the fair market value of the object at the discretion of the Collections Manager. Artifacts and objects worth $1,000 or more are required to be appraised by a qualified appraiser. High-value artifacts may require multiple appraisals. The cost of appraisals is the responsibility of the donor.
The PRHMA does not offer appraisal services.
The PRHMA does not offer appraisal services.
I’ve changed my mind. Can I have my donation back?
No, as a registered charity, the PRHMA cannot return deaccessioned artifacts to their original donors in compliance with the Canadian Income Tax Act.
Will the Museum keep my donated artifact forever?
The PRHMA accepts objects for its permanent collections with the goal of preserving them for the education and enjoyment of future generations. However, there are situations that may require us to make the decision to remove an item from our collection, for example:
- If an item has degraded past our ability to care for it
- If we discover it is hazardous to staff or other artifacts (e.g., if it contains asbestos or arsenic)
- If it is determined the object should be repatriated to an Indigenous community.
How does the PRHMA handle First Nation artifacts and cultural materials?
The PRHMA works in close partnership with the Tla'amin Nation in regard to the donation of local First Nations material. Within its holdings the PRHMA maintains and manages records, documents, images, archaeological material and objects created by past and present members of the Tla’amin Nation. These materials are held in trust and maintained by the museum for preservation, research, and display purposes, but ownership of these materials is retained by the Tla’amin Nation.
The PRHMA does not actively collect the cultural materials of other non-local First Nations and Indigenous communities and will be happy to work with potential donors to locate the appropriate community or institution for the objects.
The PRHMA has been listed as the repository for archaeological materials recovered from the traditional lands of the Tla’amin Nation in an agreement between the Tla’amin Nation, the BC Archaeology Branch, and the PRHMA under the British Columbia Heritage Conservation Act.
Due to the culturally sensitive nature of these materials the PRHMA will abide by federal and provincial laws regarding access to information and privacy of personal information, and in addition recognizes that the Tla’amin Nation has right of refusal to the reproduction or use of their materials, or materials relating to past and present individuals of the Nation. Researchers requesting to use records or images created by or relating to members of the Tla’amin Nation must receive approval from the Nation by contacting the Cultural Representative for the Tla’amin Nation.
The PRHMA does not actively collect the cultural materials of other non-local First Nations and Indigenous communities and will be happy to work with potential donors to locate the appropriate community or institution for the objects.
The PRHMA has been listed as the repository for archaeological materials recovered from the traditional lands of the Tla’amin Nation in an agreement between the Tla’amin Nation, the BC Archaeology Branch, and the PRHMA under the British Columbia Heritage Conservation Act.
Due to the culturally sensitive nature of these materials the PRHMA will abide by federal and provincial laws regarding access to information and privacy of personal information, and in addition recognizes that the Tla’amin Nation has right of refusal to the reproduction or use of their materials, or materials relating to past and present individuals of the Nation. Researchers requesting to use records or images created by or relating to members of the Tla’amin Nation must receive approval from the Nation by contacting the Cultural Representative for the Tla’amin Nation.
